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Abstract

We previously reported that ~70% of adolescents presenting to a Pediatric GI clinic for chronic nausea exhibit orthostatic intolerance (OI) in response to head upright tilt testing (HUT). The objective of this study was to determine whether supine mean arterial pressure or hemodynamic responses to HUT differ in these patients. Forty-eight patients (mean age of 15 [10-18] years, 36 females) completed a 45 minutes 0 to 70° HUT. Continuous blood pressure and heart rate recordings were acquired using non-invasive finger cuff. Thirteen subjects had normal tilt (Normal) while thirty five demonstrated OI. There were no differences between the two groups in supine blood pressures (BP), baroreflex sensitivity measured by frequency method in HF range (BRS), heart rate variability (HRV) measured as the root of mean square of successive differences (rMSSD), blood pressure variability (BPV) measured as standard deviation of mean arterial pressure (SDMAP) or the sympathovagal balance measure LFRRI/HFRRI. HUT caused a greater increase in heart rate in OI group (from 71 ± 6 beats/min to 104 ± 4 in OI vs from 75 ± 3 to 95 ±3 in normal, p=0.01) which was accompanied with lesser increase in BP (mainly due to lack of increase in diastolic) in the OI group. There was a trend for greater reduction in BRS in OI subjects (from 28.5 ± 13 ms/mm Hg to 6.3 ± 0.8 in OI vs from 21.1 ± 3.6 to 12.0 ± 2.9 in normal, p=0.09). HUT impaired HRV in both groups compared to supine values but the reduction was greater in OI group (-66.7 ± 4 % vs -52.0 ±5.6 in normal, p=<0.001). SDMAP increased by HUT compared to supine but to a greater extent in OI (40.6 ± 4 % vs 13.4 ± 8 in normal, p=0.02). LFRRI/HFRRI increased to a greater magnitude in OI group with HUT (from 1.8 ± 0.8 to 6.8 ± 0.8 in OI vs from 1.14 ± 0.18 to 4.1 ±0.7 in normal, p=0.02). These data reveal that the adolescents with orthostatic intolerance have attenuated parasympathetic responses and exaggerated activation of the sympathetic system to the heart and blood vessels. Despite these responses, subjects fail to maintain BP. Similar to previous studies in other subjects with OI, the excessive tachycardia often followed by syncope in most of these adolescents may reflect a loss of vascular responses to the activation of sympathetic and neurohumoral stimuli. Support: AHA12CRP9420029